No Beethoven

No Beethoven
An Autobiography & Chronicle of
Weather Report
by Peter Erskine
edited by Rick Mattingly
book design by Kio Griffth
photography by
Shigeru Uchiyama, Peter Erskine & others
Front cover photograph: Shigeru Uchiyama
Back cover photograph: Norman Seeff, courtesy of CBS Records
2013 Peter Erskine
FUZZ/E/BOOKS
Fuzzy Music LLC
Exclusive Worldwide Distribution by Alfred Music
All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA.
ISBN-10: 0-9892530-1-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-9892530-1-7
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and
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I aint afraid of no Beethoven.
Joe Zawinul to Peter Erskine, circa 1979
About the Author
Peter Erskine has played the drums since age four and is known for his
versatility and love of working in different musical contexts. He appears
on 600 albums and lm scores, and has won two Grammy Awards, plus
an Honorary Doctorate from the Berklee School of Music.
Thirty albums have been released under his own name or as co-leader.
He has played with the Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson Big Bands,
Weather Report, Steps Ahead, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Diana Krall,
Kenny Wheeler, The Brecker Brothers, The Yellowjackets, Pat Metheny
and Gary Burton, John Scoeld, et al, and has appeared as a soloist with
the London, Los Angeles, Chicago, Frankfurt Radio, Scottish Chamber,
Royal Opera House, BBC Symphony and Berlin Philharmonic
Orchestras. Peter has been named Best Jazz Drummer of the Year ten
times by Modern Drummer magazine. Peter graduated from the
Interlochen Arts Academy and studied at Indiana University under
George Gaber. He is currently Professor of Practice and Director of
Drumset Studies at USC. Peter is married with two children and lives in
Santa Monica, California.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Mitch Haupers x
1. Thus Spake Zawinul 1
2. Club Harlem 5
3. Weather Report is a Big Band 9
4. I Join the Band 13
5. Mr. Gone 19
6.# Summer of 61# 21
7. Joe 27
8. Educating Peter 31
9. Guardian Angels 35
10. School 39
11. Interlochen 41
12. Indiana U. 47
13. Summer of 1972 49
14. The Stan Kenton Orchestra 53
15. On the Road 57
16. Music Companies - Interlude 61
17. In Praise of Zildjian 63
18. In Further Praise of Elvin 67
19. Yamaha 71
20. Drum Workshop 75
21. Slingerland Drums 79
22. I Leave Kenton 81
23. Maynard Ferguson 83
24. Tokyo, Japan, 1978 91
25. Jaco 95
NO BEETHOVEN
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26. Weather Report Attitude 103
27.# Weather Reports Contentious Ways # 111
28. Living in California 115
29. Recording Session Stories 123
30. Go East, Young Man 127
31. But First, Down South 131
32.# Cue Now... Ill Take Manhattan# 133
33. Peter Erskine: On the Record 137
34. More Sounds in the Big Apple 139
35. Common Denominator 141
36. Steps Ahead & New York City 143
37. Madarao, Japan 147
38. Tachikawa to Santa Monica 151
39. What the Hell? 153
40. And Baby Makes 4 155
41.# The Plays the Thing# 157
42. The ECM Recordings 159
43. Competition 163
44. Life Goes On 167
45. Plays Well With Others 171
46. Diary of Two Film Sessions 179
47. Back to the Classics 183
48. Flying to Japan Again 189
49. Me and Japan 195
50. Life 2 197
51. More Talk About Life and Art 201
52. USC 207
53. Whither Jazz Goest? 209
PETER ERSKINE
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54. Wayne 215
55. From Fearless to Self-conscious 219
56. Weather Report Drummers 221
57. Stormy Weather 223
58. Three Views 225
59. Two Deaths 227
60. Musical Salute 229
61. Quasthoff 235
62. The End 239
63. Last Letter to Me From Joe 241
Appendix 1: People 245
Appendix 2: Music 279
Photos 308
NO BEETHOVEN
ix
Foreword
Why am I writing this?! After reading an advance draft of Mr. Erskines
latest memoirs the book you now hold in your hands I proffered
the following advice to the author: You should get a heavy hitter to write
a foreword. Of course, I was thinking of Wayne Shorter, given that this
autobiography has the drummers years with the inuential band
Weather Report as one central theme. Then again, having only recently
met Mr. Shorterwell, lets just say that those who really know him might
describe him as a man of few words or at least one whose words are so
carefully chosen as they may tend toward brevity, even come across as
cryptic at times. Good enough. Well then, what about all the other high-
level and well-known musicians that Mr. Erskine has supported and
collaborated with over his long and storied career? We know that some of
these folks are amazing writers! Walter Becker and Donald Fagen (aka
Steely Dan), Joni Mitchell, Diana Krall, John Abercrombie, Eliane Elias,
Marc Johnson, Bill Frisell, Alan Pasqua, Bob Mintzer, Russell Ferrante,
Jimmy Haslip, Vince Mendoza, John Williamsshall I go on? [Its an
impressive and long list of the whos who in the music industryjust
check out the discography and lmography by way of Peters website,
www.petererskine.com !]
It comes down to this: I like Peter Erskines drumminga lot! His myriad
recordings have been on my playlist for decades (long before iPods ever
existed) and, it would seem that Peter Erskine likes my writing (as
evidenced by his request for and acceptance of my liner notes for his
latest trio recording, Joy Luck). Perhaps even more obvious in his response
to my suggestion to nd a celebrated writer: I would be honored if you
would write the foreword! Hmm, so much for my idea!
So, now the circle is forming: I also like Peter Erskines writing! In fact, I
found this book to be a most engaging, informative, and at times brutally
honest account of a rich and, in many ways, ground-breaking musical
life. One that, if read with a modicum of compassion for the realities of
life as a road warrior (touring musician) and acceptance of the rough-
around-the-edges lifestyle that goes along with it (especially in the jazz
world), will entertain and inform those who know the man, the musician,
the friend. This book will also ll in the blanks for fans who have
PETER ERSKINE
x
followed the drummers career or the many bands with whom he has
been an integral part. I would also add, and of this I am most hopeful,
that aspiring young musicians (even aspiring old musicians) will nd
enlightenment from the wisdom contained herein.
Peter Erskines life story is still evolving and his musical contributions
continue to dene and explore the other side of drumming. Sure, he
swings hard and continues to function as one of the premier big band
drummers to carry the mantle from his early years with Stan Kentons
band through his years with Maynard Ferguson and into the present. (I
heard him perform recently here in Boston with Berklees Jazz Orchestra,
as the Armand Zildjian Visiting Artist. What a treat to hear him navigate
everything from more contemporary writers to the classic Sammy
Nestico charts from Basies band!) Still, the thing that separates Erskine
from many of his drumming contemporaries is his willingness, actually
his insistence, on getting the musical point across without unnecessary
pyrotechnics of which, he is clearly capable.
The evolution of this drumming style (sometimes referred to by Erskine
as 3-D musical architecture) relies, to a large degree, on close listening,
massive amounts of preparation and the surrender of ones ego well,
not completely, but certainly in deference to the music. Speaking with
Erskine on the subject, one hears an obvious reverence, accompanied by
a reduction of volume in his delivery. He almost brings the conversation
to a whisper, as if prefacing with this is an important thing Im going to
say now, so pay close attention. This describes Erskines approach to
drumset playing, as well. His manner of speaking and his playing are
one. Rule #1: You must listen closely in order to truly hear what the
music needs.
There is no way to stampede toward the kind of touch that Peter Erskine
possesses on his instrument. Rule #2: do your homework! I have been
teaching for a number of decades now and have witnessed the reluctance
of so many young aspiring musicians to exact the discipline required to
progress their craft. Ive also seen the glowing results when practicing is
seen as a daily routine and approached with joy rather than dread. I also
understand that the grind of daily music making (for a living) can take its
toll on practice time. In other words, get to it while you canonce your
NO BEETHOVEN
xi
dream comes true and you are in demand as a playerwell, practice now
or keep dreaming.
How can and why should one ensure that one is out of the way of the
music? Rule #3: this is NOT about you, it is always about the music, yet
you cannot disappear completely. OK, well now Ive said it and, while
this could take up an entire shelf full of books on self-help, lets get to the
point. Surrender is a large part of Erskines philosophy of playing
musicso what is he talking about? There is a way of listening, of really
hearing and becoming fully aware of ones surroundings that is implied
here. One that requires a diminishing of noise (critical commentary) and
static (negative thought patterns) in order to get to the essence of what
comes next in ones playing. This is especially true for improvisers. This
process of listening can also be viewed as one of editing and focusing
ones energy toward being very open. Openness to hearing others,
openness to experiencing novelty, openness to sharing the space in which
music exists, openness to owing
As you may surmise, I am sometimes blinded by a spirit of reverence for
practitioners of the arts in particular, musicians. More specically,
those players who have dedicated themselves to a lifelong pursuit of
nding truth and beauty wherever and whenever, and who take the time
to report back to the rest of humanity; they have long been my heroes.
This past summer, I had the honor of working with Peter Erskine in the
studio, recording my original compositions. This experience, especially
after years of listening to his own trios, provided a culmination of many
musical dreams and aspirations.
He played my music and, not only improved on my concept, but
approached his own instrument in a way Ive never heard before he
seems to constantly reinvent himself. He listens and adapts and plays
inclusively. From my perspective, Peter Erskine is a masterful
compercussionist (my term for a drummer who also plays melody,
harmony and thinks like a composer when improvising). It makes perfect
sense that he has continued the legacy we rst encountered in the
legendary pianist Bill Evans approach to the trio the art of
conversational playing.
PETER ERSKINE
xii
So you see, dear reader, one cannot help but be inuenced by Peter
Erskines music, philosophy, or his writing; for there exists a deep
commitment and long history of forging new paths that, for some, is both
intriguing and inspirational. He crosses interdisciplinary boundaries with
great aplomb, he expands the physical limits of the instrument with grace
and economy of motion, and he consistently transcends the denition of
his art form his oeuvre speaks for itself.
I started writing about his book and ended up reecting on his inuence
on my own path. Peter Erskines numerous recordings have one central
thing in common: regardless of genre, there is his quiet, yet solid
presence and, yes, his enviable touch that makes each musical offering
uniquely his own. He listenslike we all should listen. Any sensitive
reader will hear it in this telling of his own musical life. This is really
Volume 1 of a continuing storynd a quiet place and enjoy.
Mitch Haupers
January 14, 2013
NO BEETHOVEN
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1. Thus Spake Zawinul
Sad motherfucker
Moments before, I had surrendered my headphones to Joe on Japan
Airlines ight #61 as it cruised 35,000 feet above the Pacic Ocean. We
were ying from LAX to Tokyos newly opened Narita Airport. It was
Saturday, June 17, 1978, and Weather Report was about to tour Japan as
a quartet with me as its new drummer. A lunch of beefsteak had been
served with soba noodle starter. Seated alone on this pivotal journey and
wearing a new set of clothes for the trip, I already managed to stain my
shirt with soy sauce.
Too excited to sleep, and it was mid-afternoon to boot, I plugged
headphones into my Panasonic cassette boom box and was listening to
some pleasant music by a leading keyboard artist of the day not
bebop, more like late 70s pop-smooth-jazz and daydreaming about
my girlfriend when I spotted Joe half a cabin ahead, walking aft.
NO BEETHOVEN
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Somehow, I knew he was headed straight for me, and I knew what was
going to happen next. My Coltrane and Miles tapes were in the overhead
baggage compartment, and there was no chance to grab one of them by
the time he was upon me. He motioned for me to give up my headphones
so he could hear what I was listening to. I smiled weakly and offered up
my Koss headset, which he donned in brisk fashion. Zawinul stood in the
aisle with a st on each hip, similar to a football referees indication of
offside, while looking forward and backwards and up and down the
aisle with an expression I hadnt yet come to know or understand, but I
could tell that he wasnt digging the music I was listening too very much.
He nally looked directly at me and yelled the way that people wearing
headphones always shout, demanding I conrm the identity of the
offending musician whose name he had just bellowed as a question.
[Beat.] I kept smiling and nodded to convey, Yep, thats who it
is. [Another beat.] Joe took the headphones off and held them astride
my ears as he simply said, Sad motherfucker, and then plopped the
phones back onto my head and walked away.
Thus spake Zawinul.
I wondered how and if I was going to survive this macho jazz gauntlet.
Welcome to Weather Report.
PETER ERSKINE
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photo: Shigeru Uchiyama
The road to this trans-oceanic journey begins 20 years earlier when, in
my infancy, Im playing along to my fathers vinyl LP records on a
makeshift drumset that he has put together for me in front of a large
Klipsch monaural speaker cabinet in our familys living room. Being that
young, I dont understand the concept of recordings; I think that there
are little people inside this large speaker cabinet, and that putting a round
piece of plastic into the machine wakes them up and they make music for
me His Majesty the Baby.
The music includes LPs by Tito Puente, Art Blakey, Martin Denny, Specs
Powell, Esquivel, and Henry Mancini. The conga drum comes from
Cuba and the small rivet cymbal from who-knows-where, and this setup
functions not only as a thrown-together kit but also as a sort of compass.
Im four years old and I already know that I will be playing the drums for
Weather Report. Well, I cant actually know that just yet, but I pretty
much have already gured out that this is what Im going to be doing for
the rest of my life.
First will come private lessons and summer music camps, always to the
accompaniment of parental cheering and sibling support. Next will come
conservatory training, followed by my rst gigs
NO BEETHOVEN
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PETER ERSKINE
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2. Club Harlem
It was the summer of 1972 and I was returning to my position as house
drummer for the band at the legendary Club Harlem in Atlantic City.
The club was 38 years old at that point in time; I had just turned 18. The
year before, when I rst did the gig, my mom had to drop me off and
pick me up in front of the club for a couple of weeks until I got my
drivers license. The Club Harlem was located on Kentucky Avenue.
Atlantic City has changed a lot since 1972, and while Kentucky Avenue is
still there, the Club Harlem no longer exists. But it was home in its
heyday to such legendary visiting black artists and entertainers as Sammy
Davis, Jr., James Brown, Sam Cooke, Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder,
Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Redd Foxx, and many others. Acts would
usually come there for a one-week stint. The Club Harlem had a show
room in the back that could seat 900 people. It also had a bar in the front
where organ trios would play in-between the shows in the main room. I
got to hear such jazz greats as Lonnie Smith and Jimmy McGriff during
my breaks.
The really fun part about the Club Harlem was that there was a breakfast
show that started at 5 A.M. on Sundays. All of the celebrities appearing in
Atlantic City on any given weekend would come to the Harlems
breakfast show after the other nightclubs closed for the evening. The club
served scrambled eggs, Bloody Marys or Screwdrivers, and we played a
nal set. And then the organ band in the front of the club would play
their last set. All the while, aromas from the various soul food eateries and
the head and incense shops on the street mingled with the perfume of
the nearby Atlantic Ocean.
So, it was the beginning of summer and I greeted bandleader Johnny
Lynch a lovely old man with a wig fashioned in the style of the day, a
large Afro. The band consisted of Johnny on trumpet, two saxophone
players, bass (the excellent Eddie Mathias), piano, and drums. Believe it
or not, for the dance routine (two women with natural Afros and one
male dancer, all of them dressed in leopard-skin fur) and resident vocalist,
we had a conductor who wielded a big baton. His name was John Usry,
Jr., and his sister, Soundra, was the singer. John went on to have some
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success producing disco recordings, I believe. For fun, the pianist in the
house band, Gary Gannaway, used to nd Usrys baton just before show
time and toss it into a hole in the wall backstage that led to a long-
forgotten basement. Usry would panic and curse behind the red velvet
curtain that was just to the right of the drumset. I learned some new and
imaginative combinations of colorful language in 1972.
The Three Degrees was the rst group I worked with that summer. I
rehearsed their book with the house band on the day before they were
scheduled to come to town. Some nice tunes, including one of their hits,
Everybody Gets to Go to the Moon (the same song they sing during
their cameo appearance in the 1974 lm The French Connection), and a cool
arrangement of Aretha Franklins hit Rock Steady.
The girls arrived for their rst show, and I was informed that they had
their own drummer, but I could play percussion during their set.
Bummer, but okay. They also had their own conductor, a man named
Richie Barrett, who discovered them, produced them, managed them,
etc.
So, the rst night of the Club Harlem summer season begins, and the
house band plays a set for cocktails and dancing by those audience
members who have gotten there too early, and then its show time.
Maestro Usry comes onstage through the thick velvet curtains on this
small bandstand, takes a deep bow, and we play the book for his sister
Soundra, the singer. I cant quite remember the sequence of events, but
we also played music for the aforementioned dance trio as well as for a
comedian. Then the Three Degrees were announced, and I moved over
to my tambourine spot while their drummer sat down at my kit and
played their show. He was good.
This would be fun to do! I thought. So, early on the second evening I
went up to the Three Degrees conductor/manager/producer, Richie
Barrett, and I actually had the nerve to say, Excuse me, may I ask you a
question? His reply: Yeah, what? Well, I was just wondering if it
might be possible for me to play one of the shows this week you know,
play drums on the show? After all, its only fair, I DID play the rehearsal,
and He interrupted me with an Are you kidding? and walked off.
Oh well; nothing ventured, nothing gained.
PETER ERSKINE
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It might have been later that night, or possibly the next evening, but
between shows 1 and 2, the Three Degrees traveling drummer came
back from the break late and drunk. Apparently, this was not the rst
time that something like this had happened. And so, while we played
some extra tunes out of the house-band book, I heard the following take
place on the other side of that velvet curtain that was next to my
drumset:
THIS IS THE LAST TIME YOU PULL THIS SHIT!
AW, FUCK YOU, MAN.
OH YEAH? FUCK ME? WELL, FUCK YOU! YOURE FIRED!
The band stops playing. Sounds of pushing and shoving, and probably a
few more F words.
Suddenly, Richie Barrett charges through the velvet curtains and strides
angrily across the stage to give the downbeat for the Three Degrees rst
number. Halfway there, he stops, points HIS conductors baton right at
me and says loudly enough for everyone in the club to hear:
OKAY, YOU GOT YOUR CHANCE, MOTHERFUCKER!
I played that show and nished out the week. Looking back now, I realize
that this was all part of the training. The last night of the engagement, I
got a signed photo from the girls as well as a kiss on the cheek from each
of them. Barrett never offered to pay me anything extra for playing their
show, and it didnt even occur to me to ask.
The Three Degrees went on to have a couple of big hits, including
When Will I See You Again as well as TSOP (the theme for Soul
Train). Shortly thereafter, I began working with the Stan Kenton
Orchestra, abruptly resigning my gig at the Club Harlem. Didnt get to
play too much more soul music for a while
NO BEETHOVEN
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PETER ERSKINE
8
3. Weather Report is a Big Band
Pre-tour press conference in Tokyo with Weather Report, Monday, June
19, 1978. Several questions to Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, and Jaco
Pastorius. No one asks me anything, and Im okay with that still just
trying to take all of this in. Finally, a journalist directs a question to the
new drummer in the band. Peter Erskine: You have played with the big
bands of Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson. How does this qualify you
to play with Weather Report? Nice question, especially seeing how I
have not yet played my rst concert with the band. Well good music is
good music my rst publicly spoken words as Weather Reports
drummer and good music is Zawinul interrupts my brilliant
answer with, Weather Report is a small group and we are a big band,
too. Next question.
To be honest, I am condent that, had Joe or Wayne heard me with
either Stan or Maynard, they never would have hired me. I suspect that it
was the idea that I had played with Kenton that intrigued them, and I
imagine that the Kenton in their heads was the band from the 50s. They
simply liked the notion or the concept that I had played with a big band.
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(Joe and Wayne both enjoyed their rst big gig as part of Maynard
Fergusons band.) Luckily for me, it was Jaco who heard me play with
Maynard.
I owe the Weather Report gig to Maynard Ferguson bandmate and
trumpeter Ron Tooley, who called Jaco up when the band was playing in
Miami at the Airliner Motel in March of 1977. Ron was surprised that
his phone call was answered because Jaco was usually in Los Angeles
working with Weather Report, and he made the call intending to just
leave a message. So they talked for a while, and when Ron asked Jaco if
he would like to come and see the band that night, Jaco replied, Thanks
but no thanks; I heard you guys the last time. Well, Ron said, we got
a new drummer; you might want to check him out. Okay, Ill be there.
Even though the epochal album Heavy Weather was just about to be
released, drummer Alex Acua was apparently already making plans to
leave the band. So I met Jaco that night and we chitchatted for a while.
At rst I was staring at him because he looked so different in person
compared to his solo album cover photograph that stylized black-and-
white photo that made him look European. Here was this guy with
stringy long hair wearing a Phillies baseball cap, horn-rimmed glasses,
and a striped shirt that was buttoned all the way up to the top.
Eventually the band break was over and I had to go back to the stage to
play the second set. Jaco then said something to me no one else had ever
said. As I was walking towards the stage I heard, Hey, man! and I
turned around to look. Instead of saying something like, Play well or
Have a good set, Jaco yelled, HAVE FUN! And I thought, Wow,
thats a nice idea. So I went up and had fun smiling and laughing
and enjoying myself, and thats how I played. Jaco was that kind of
person: He truly enjoyed bringing out something in people most often
bringing out their best. Sometimes, getting any type of reaction was good
enough for him (even if it meant trouble to follow). One nickname he
had for himself was catalyst.
After the Maynard gig was over that evening, Jaco and several of us
sidemen stayed up all night listening over and over again to the cassette
tape that Jaco had brought with him of Heavy Weather. I told him, This is
PETER ERSKINE
10
the version of Weather Report I have been waiting for. He told me that
he would be calling me one of these days.
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PETER ERSKINE
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